Amazing Spider-Man #686 *SPOILERS*

[stillanerd]

I think I love this story. Way outclasses Spider-Island, which I found kind of underwhelming. Everyone complaining about the "goblin tech" in the first issue should have realized that wasn't just a throwaway scene. This story is showing us how things made for bad can be used for good, and now, vice versa. Can "bad" people like Ock also do good? Can a "good" person like Spidey do more harm when trying to do good?

Very astute observation there, Dog. Even though I still think that, logically, there's no way Spidey would want to create his own "goblin gear," it definitely makes more sense thematically as you pointed out.

So what exactly is MJ's plan?

Become the owner of a Spider-Man themed dance club, apparently. Heck, Spidey already has his own dance routine so the job is half done.

[Majinoaw]

Okay, pluses and minuses and a few mixed bags

Pluses:
+Great art by Casseli as usual
+Liked how Doc Ock essentially ruined Mysterio and Chameleon's own plan to distract Spidey and the others because his own ego got in the way. That was completely in character for him, not to mention we get a hint that perhaps his ultimate goal is to have a "fight to the death" with Spider-Man.
+Love that Spidey convinced Mysterio to team-up with him and in a way that makes perfect sense. Heck, if you think about it, Mysterio is probably the only one on the Sinister Six smart enough to realize that if the world is destroyed, there's no way they're going to enjoy their two billion dollars and living the good life. Heck, Mysterio was pretty awesome throughout all of this.
+Also, liked the way Black Widow convinced the Chameleon to cooperate by suggesting she knew the "secret of his real face." Brings back a kind of mystery to the Chameleon's origins.

Minuses
-Okay, let's be honest here: who didn't see the twist to last issue's cliffhanger coming even before the preview spoiled it? Not to mention it kind of feels like a bit of a cop-out, although do understand why they couldn't actually have half of the world be destroyed.
-That whole phone call scene. J. Jonah Jameson has been a complete asshole throughout this entire story, and his hanging up on his dad is just one more example of it. Even though I understand he doesn't really like his dad because he feels he abandoned him, it was still cold. Not to mention we get yet another example of why reverting things back to "Aunt May doesn't know Peter is Spider-Man" was probably not a good idea.

Misgivings:
*So, MJ's plan to say "thank you" to Peter and get the city to appreciate Spider-Man is to buy a nightclub and throw a party? I guess owning her own business is considered a "major status quo change" for the character and it's a throwback to MJ's first job as a go-go dancer. But unless we learn more about what she's up to, my reaction is a "meh."
*While I do think it's a great twist that Doc Ock has been using Peter's and the rest of Horizon Lab's own inventions as part of his plans (not to mention, as was earlier pointed out, it makes the scene with Spidey on the goblin-glider from the first part foreshadowing and thematic of how technology can be used for good or evil) if this is going to be the impetus for Peter to seriously question whether or not he should continue to work for Horizon Labs it does seem a little forced.

Overall, though, I think this was the best issue of "Ends of the Earth" thus far.

I like what Slott is doing. The use of the Sinister six and fleshing out their characters was really good. There was a decent build to this, and I liked almost every step of it.

Also isn't it awesome to see Spider-Man portrayed like this, when in other titles he's played off as a loser or a small bit player that can't contribute much?

This is something to stick in AVX fans craw - Spider-Man single handedly embarrassed the X-Men during the Secret Wars. I wish the writers would remember that and bring back that type of characterization for him when he's written in other titles.

[Dan_Slott]

Okay, let's be honest here: who didn't see the twist to last issue's cliffhanger coming even before the preview spoiled it?

Honestly? Going by dozens of blogs, review sites, YouTube videos, AND message board responses? MANY, MANY, MANY PEOPLE! :-D
I know a good deal of people "got it" (or quickly "got it" after someone else posted it on the same board.), but that DIDN'T stop a lot of OTHER people from NOT getting it.

[stillanerd]

Honestly? Going by dozens of blogs, review sites, YouTube videos, AND message board responses? MANY, MANY, MANY PEOPLE! :-D
I know a good deal of people "got it" (or quickly "got it" after someone else posted it on the same board.), but that DIDN'T stop a lot of OTHER people from NOT getting it.

True. And to be fair, there was some doubt about it right up to this issue. And just so you know, Dan, I did like the other twist about where Doc Ock got the tech to pull off his scheme, particularly because I sure didn't see that one coming. Although, like I also said, I do have some misgivings as to whether or not this is going to be the thing that makes Peter decide to quit Horizon, though I don't think he will.

[Dog]

If Octavius is clearly taking opportunities to attempt to murder Spider-Man and various other real heroes, he is still far from "good".

I didn't ask if the bad man had "become" good, but if a bad man could do good.

[Majinoaw]

Honestly? Going by dozens of blogs, review sites, YouTube videos, AND message board responses? MANY, MANY, MANY PEOPLE! :-D
I know a good deal of people "got it" (or quickly "got it" after someone else posted it on the same board.), but that DIDN'T stop a lot of OTHER people from NOT getting it.

Those same people refuse to believe that Cardiac is going to take over the mantle of Spider-man, after issue 700, but we know different don't we Dan?

[Darthfury78]

I did it again!

[E. Wilson]

Honestly? Going by dozens of blogs, review sites, YouTube videos, AND message board responses? MANY, MANY, MANY PEOPLE! :-D
I know a good deal of people "got it" (or quickly "got it" after someone else posted it on the same board.), but that DIDN'T stop a lot of OTHER people from NOT getting it.

Hey! In an interview prior to Spider Island, I specifically recall you advertising Amazing Spider-Man being full of death and destruction! =P

[CyberHubbs]

Doesn't MJ have a television show? She's got money.

[stillanerd]

I like what Slott is doing. The use of the Sinister six and fleshing out their characters was really good. There was a decent build to this, and I liked almost every step of it.

Also isn't it awesome to see Spider-Man portrayed like this, when in other titles he's played off as a loser or a small bit player that can't contribute much?

This is something to stick in AVX fans craw - Spider-Man single handedly embarrassed the X-Men during the Secret Wars. I wish the writers would remember that and bring back that type of characterization for him when he's written in other titles.

Very true. Also, notice how that Spidey being put into a position of leadership has essentially made him over-confident, particularly when it comes to his new gadgets? Only to have his own "Tony Stark" or "Hank Pym" epiphany and realize his own inventions could be used for evil? After all, Spider-Man is partially about how our actions have consequences, although, like I said, I hope this is not going to turn into Peter going "I have to quit Horizon Labs because I can't be responsible for having my inventions fall in the wrong hands."

Those same people refuse to believe that Cardiac is going to take over the mantle of Spider-man, after issue 700, but we know different don't we Dan?

And here I thought Cardiac was going to be the enforcer of Obamacare.

[Kevinroc]

Doesn't MJ have a television show? She's got money.

MJ and Peter and Jonah and Jonah Sr. and Aunt May all have money. I think the only member of the supporting cast who doesn't really have money is Carlie. (How much can a forensic scientist for the NYPD make?) And we haven't seen Carlie since #675, IIRC. (Although I hear she pops up in other non-Spidey books.)

[stillanerd]

Doesn't MJ have a television show? She's got money.

Well, given this is apparently the largest check MJ has ever written, not THAT much money. Not to mention running her own business, if that's what this is leading to, is going to be pretty expensive as well. After all, she's got to buy food, drinks, and hire cooks, bartenders, bouncers, waitresses, dancers, decorators, DJs, musicians, maintenance workers and janitors. Not to mention pay for advertising.

[Gordon Smith]

The only thing that concerns me is that next issue has a lot of loose ends to tie up dramatically. We still don't know Ock's true goals, or what he promised the Rhino. Horizon clearly has one more part to play. (Speaking of, does Stone ever actually contribute to the Brain Trust? Dude just whines a lot.) And we have the final Ock/Spidey showdown, obviously. I'm just hoping part VI keeps the good momentum going. Hoping and eagerly awaiting.

My guess would be that Tiberius Stone has been helping himself to every secret at Horizon that hasn't been nailed down behind locked doors and selling it off to interested parties like Doctor Octopus. if he was winning to be a mole for the Kingpin, I can't see why he wouldn't sell out HL to anyone who could meet his price. Max has some housecleaning to do, I think.

[The Superior Michael Deery]

I haven't got the last issue is front of me but did they not set up Mysterio and Chameleon going on a job?

It's not really a cop out if he sets up the reveal before the reveal.

[stillanerd]

I haven't got the last issue is front of me but did they not set up Mysterio and Chameleon going on a job?

It's not really a cop out if he sets up the reveal before the reveal.

Yes, Doc Ock did send Mysterio and Chameleon out to slow down Spider-Man last issue, so you are correct in that it's not a complete cop-out. I'm just saying that it's a bit of a cop-out in the sense that in didn't actually go through with half of the world really didn't get destroyed and thus ratchet things up more in that Spidey and his team REALLY have to beat the clock before the other half suffers the same fate. But like I said, I understand why this really didn't happen as such a thing would have had huge ramifications throughout the Marvel Universe and this is supposed to be a Spider-Man centric event.

My guess would be that Tiberius Stone has been helping himself to every secret at Horizon that hasn't been nailed down behind locked doors and selling it off to interested parties like Doctor Octopus. if he was winning to be a mole for the Kingpin, I can't see why he wouldn't sell out HL to anyone who could meet his price. Max has some housecleaning to do, I think.

Actually, since we saw Peter's Horizon Labs inventions already being used in a public capacity in part one, Stone likely DIDN'T sell Horizon Labs secrets for Doc Ock to get a hold of them. They were already out there for public consumption and Doc Ock just used his genius to reverse engineer them for his own purposes. Just as we saw in that scene how Peter's inventions could be used to make the world a better place, he now realizes they can be used to potentially destroy the world.